Shoe cleaning device



L. ROSE Dec. 8, 1936.

SHOE CLEANING DEVICE R. S. 6 m f m M K 6 Wo M w A w w m )A I 1 4 n Y 3 B 2 7 I 2 z a 4 3 AV 4 QM m m r H m n 7 a Z 4 3 76 Dec. 8, 1936. L. ROSE SHOE CLEANING DEVICE Filed Oct.

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ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 8, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- SHOE CLEANING DEVICE Louis Rose, Erie, Pa.

Application October 8,

10 Claims.

The present invention is designed to provide a shoe cleaning device which will readily adapt itself to thoroughly clean not only the soles of the shoe, but the sides of the shoe, and to some extent the upper parts of the shoe. In carrying out the invention I provide a flexible cleaning strip secured at its ends with a span between the supports so that the flexible cleaning strip can conform to the shoe shape to more thoroughly clean it. The present invention contemplates also a mounting for the strip which, under foot pressure, will shift the strip supports so as to more definitely direct the strip to certain parts of the shoe. The invention also contemplates a scraper device which may be thrown into operative position, or not. as may be desired. Other features and details of the invention will appear more fully from the specification and claims.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings as follows:

Fig. 1 shows an elevation of the device, partly in section.

Fig. 2 a section on the line 22 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 a section on the line 33 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 a section on the line 44 in Fig. 6.

Fig. 5 an end view of the scraper.

Fig. 6 an elevation of the scraper.

Fig. '7 shows a top view.

Fig. 8 a side elevation.

Fig. 9 a modification, the parts outside of the modification being on the line 9-9 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 10 a further modification partly in section.

I marks the base of the frame. Arranged on this are uprights 2--2. Sliding supports 3 having perforated ends 4 are mounted on the uprights and connected by a cross bar 5. Collars 6 are fixed on the uprights 2 by set screws 1 and may be adjusted up and down, as desired. Supporting pins 8 have forked ends 8a8a which straddle the collars 6 and so locate the projections 8 on the uprights. Swinging .arms 9 are journaled on the pins 8. They are held on the pins by caps II] which are clamped on the pins by means of thumb screws II. Springs l2 are coiled around the pins and one end of a spring I3 is anchored in the sleeve and an end [4 is anchored in the cap so that the springs yieldingly resist the swinging movement of the arms 9. Supporting pins l5 extend from the free ends of the arms. Springs l6 are mounted on the pins and extend therefrom in efiect making a yielding extension on the pins. A rigid pin I1 is mounted on the bar 5. It has a center and a cross piece I8 is arranged on the end of the pin.

1932, Serial No. 636,802

Reverse projecting pins l9 extend from the cross bar and these pins have yielding spring extensions 20, these extensions being similar in form to the extensions I6.

Flexible cleaning strips 2! are carried by the pin supports I5 and IS with their yielding extensions I6 and 20. These flexible cleaning strips are preferably annular and simply looped over these supports. The cleaning strips are preferably made of rubber and are provided with cleaning projections 22. The flexibility of these strips spanning the space makes them effective in following the contour of the shoe and thus more thoroughly clean it. As the foot is placed upon the bar 5 and pressed downwardly, this puts tension on the cleaning strip, the movement of the arms 9 being resisted by the springs 12 and as the bar moves downwardly the arms 9 are swung inwardly toward each other carrying the upward parts of the cleaning strip over the sides and to some extent over the top of the shoe, thus more thoroughly cleaning the shoe. It will be noted that the pins 8 are swingingly mounted on the uprights 2 so that the arms 9 not only swing on the horizontal axis, but are also free to swing on the vertical axis of the uprights. This permits the cleaning strip to adjust itself to different angles as may best contact the shoe.

A scraper 23 is pivotally mounted on trunnions 24 on the sliding support 3. This scraper is frictionally held in place by friction balls 25 on which pressure is exerted by springs 25a. When the scraper is swung down it is out of the path of the foot operating on the cleaner. When the scraper is swung up it operates on the bottom of the foot as the cleaner belts operate on the sides of the shoe. The scraper has an opening 26 and a pin 3!] is mounted on the base and extends upwardly in register with the opening 26 so that when the sliding bar 5 is depressed through the yielding of the cleaning strips the pin passes through the opening and does not disturb the scraper. A scraper plate 21 is provided with a slot 28. A screw 29 extends through this slot into the scraper plate 23 and thus secure the sliding plate 21 to the scraper plate. The slot permits the adjustment of the plate 21 so that the end of the plate may be brought over the opening 26, or may be retracted so as to expose the opening. When the plate 21 is adjusted to close the opening and the operator depresses the sliding bar against the yielding pressure of the strips the engagement of the pin with the plate 21 swings the scraper plate to its upper, or operative position, thus permitting the operation of 55 the scraper plate on the shoe as it is operated upon by the side strips.

Preferably the base is provided with a receptacle for receiving the dirt released from the shoe and this receptacle may be made of rubber hooked over pins 3la on the base so that it may be removed, when desired.

In the modification shown in Fig. 9, the lower support for the cleaning strip is formed by separate pins 32 rigidly fixed in the bar.

In the structure shown in Fig. 10, the scraper 33 has an ear 34. A pin 35 is adapted to engage the ear 34. This pin extends in a mounting 35a. in the frame and is provided with a shoulder 36 at one end and a handle 31. A spring 38 yieldingly presses the pin to its outer position. When pressed inwardly the inner end of the pin engages the arm 34 and swings the scraper plate up to position. This may be substituted for the operating pin of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

What I claim as new is:-

1. In a shoe cleaning device, the combination of a frame; a bar slidably mounted on the frame for vertical movement; vertically extending swinging arms having horizontal axes mounted on the frame at the lower ends of the arms; means yieldingly forcing the upper ends of the arms upwardly and outwardly; flexible cleaning strips mounted on and extending from the upper ends of the arms to the bar; and a scraper on the bar in front of the space between the strips and adjacent thereto, said scraper having an upwardly directed edge whereby it may engage thebottom of a shoe.

2. In a shoe cleaning device, the combination of a frame; a bar slidably mounted on the frame for vertical movement; vertically extending swinging arms having horizontal axes mounted on the frame at the lower ends of the arms; means yieldingly forcing the upper ends of the arms upwardly and outwardly; flexible cleaning strips mounted on and extending from the upper ends of the arms to the bar; a scraper pivotally mounted on the bar in front of the space between the strips and adjacent thereto, said scraper in operative position having an upwardly directed edge whereby it may engage the bottom of a shoe, which shoe is in engagement with the strips; and means throwing the scraper into operative position.

3. In a shoe cleaning device, the combination of a frame; a bar slidably mounted on the frame for vertical movement; vertically extending swinging arms having horizontal axes mounted on the frame at the lower ends of the arms; means yieldingly forcing the upper ends of the arms upwardly and outwardly; flexible cleaning strips mounted on and extending from the upper ends of the arms to the bar; a scraper pivotally mounted on the bar in front of the space between the strips and adjacent thereto, said scraper in operative position'having an upwardly directed edge whereby it may engage the bottom of a shoe, which shoe is in engagement with the strips; and means actuated by a downward movement of the bar throwing the scraper into operative position.

spaced apart at the bottom to less than the width of a shoe and adapted to receive a downwardly pressed shoe, said strips being directed tosimultaneously engage the sides of a shoe so inserted and pressed; and means anchoring the side strips at the bottom.

5. In a shoe cleaning device, the combination of two pairs of supports, each pair having one support above the other; and an endless cleaning strip looped about each pair of supports, the inner spans of said strips converging downwardly, being spaced apart at the bottom to less than the width of a shoe and adapted to receive a downwardly pressed shoe and directed to simultaneously engage the sides of a shoe so inserted.

6. In a shoe cleaning device, the combination of supports, one of which is yielding toward and from the other support; a spring resisting the movement of the yielding support and returning said support to normal separated position; cleaning strips mounted on said supports and converging downwardly therefrom, said strips being spaced apart at the bottom to less than the width of a shoe and adapted to receive a downwardly pressed shoe and directed to simultaneously engage the sides of a shoe so inserted; and means for anchoring the lower portions of the strips.

'7. In a shoe cleaning device, the combination of supports mounted to swing toward and from each other; springs yieldingly resisting said swinging movement and returning said. supports to extreme separated position; cleaning strips mounted on the supports and converging downwardly therefrom, said strips being spaced apart to receive a downwardly pressed shoe and adapted to simultaneously engage the sides of the shoe,

the swinging supports yielding under the pressure of the foot on the strips and varying the engaging surfaces of the strips; and means anchoring the lower ends of the strips.

8. In a shoe cleaning device, the combination of a frame; arms having double pivot connections with the frame, each pivot connection having one pivot with the axis horizontal and one pivot with a vertical axis; flexible cleaning strips mounted on the free ends of said arms and converging downwardly therefrom, said strips being spaced apart and adapted to receive a downward ly pressed shoe and to engage the sides of a shoe soinserted between them; and springs resisting the swinging movement of the arms under the pressure of the shoe and tending to return the arms to normal separated position.

9. In a shoe cleaning device, a frame, a horizontal bar vertically slidable on said frame, a pair of vertically extending supporting arms pivoted at their lower ends to said frame near the ends of said bar so that their upper ends can swing towards each other, springs arranged to swing said arms away from each other, and flexible cleaning strips extending from the upper ends of said arms to the central part of said bar.

10. In a shoe cleaning device, the combination of a frame; supports mounted on the frame; cleaning strips mounted on the supports and extending downwardly therefrom, said strips being spaced apart and adapted to engage the sides of an inserted shoe; and spring posts to which the bottoms of the strips are secured.

LOUIS ROSE. 

